Research Paper Topic Brief: Egalitarianism
Elizabeth Conditt
Helms School of Government , Liberty University
GOVT 329 American Exceptionalism
Professor Miller
September 14, 2020
Research Paper Topic Brief: Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is referred to as the “view that all people are of equal fundamental moral
or social worth, and should be treated as such” (Gregory et al, 2009, p. 187). Egalitarianism can
also take many forms in connection to various types of equality such as economic, political, and
social equality. America was built with a notion of equality that made sure its citizens would be
treated equally and has gone through many trials over the course of history to further validate
this. Economic equality in America is the idea that everyone has the opportunity to achieve and
support a life of wealth as well as access to resources to help do so. Political equality in America
is the idea that all American “citizens have an equal voice in governmental decisions” (Verba,
2003, p. 663). Social equality refers to the equality of all Americans. Meaning that all Americans
are treated equally and are all entitled to the same rights no matter their race, age, or gender.
America did not always have these ideas of equality and to this day still faces issues concerning
the subject, but over the years Americans have made and continue to slowly make the many
necessary changes to ensure that the equality the Founding Fathers intended would be honored.
In the last few years, the issue of equality has become a matter of contention. Murray
sates that the inequality that is seen in America is much worse than the inequality seen in Europe.
Murray goes on to say “American egalitarianism is all about rhetoric, not concrete measures to
equalize material well-being. The traditional unconcern of most Americans about economic
inequality is evidence of American moral backwardness” (Murray, 2013). Today’s modern
equality issues such as systematic racism and countless others could also be considered evidence
of American moral backwardness. Throughout American history, the issue of equality has been
the cause of wars, but also has influenced positive changes in legislation.
It is important to remember America’s beginning when discussing egalitarianism.
America came to be because people did not want to be under the English rule and their
government because they were treated as lesser than. The founders wanted equality for everyone
and to create a place where no one was more superior than anyone else. Americans do appoint
other Americans to be in charge of the government, but at the end of the day they are treated the
same as every other American that put them in that position. America is exceptional in many
ways, including striving to maintain a country where everyone is treated equally. The founding
fathers established a government that prioritizes equality and also protects that equality for every
American.
I chose egalitarianism as my topic of research because this is a subject that is extremely
rampant in today’s modern society. I believe that as a country, America has come so far and seen
an extensive amount of growth over the course of history. American’s have to come together and
fought tooth and nail to put an end to many inequality standards and morals. Examples include:
the abolishment of slavery, the civil rights movement, women’s rights, and many more. However,
I also recognize that America still has a long way to go in terms of equality for all. There are still
many equality issues that desperately need to be addressed and drastic changes that need to
made. Such as, unequal pay between women and men, systematic racism, and many more.
America is still facing the issues in economic, political, and social equality.
Egalitarianism is very much a prominent trait in modern-day America. However,
Egalitarianism in America still has shortcomings and still needs work. For my paper I first plan
to further define the term egalitarianism. Next, I will discuss how egalitarianism became
associated with America from its beginning by discussing the true intentions of the founding
fathers. Finally, I plan to discuss how these shortcomings could be greatly detrimental to
American exceptionalism if not addressed.
References
Murray, C. (2013). American Exceptionalism. [Liberty University Online Bookshelf]. Retrieved
from https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780844772653/
Verba, S. (2003). Would the dream of political equality turn out to be a
nightmare? Perspectives on Politics, 1(4), 663-679. doi:10.1017/S1537592703000458
Gregory, D., Johnston, R., Pratt, G., Watts, M., & Whatmore, S, (2009). The Dictionary of
Human Geography (Blackwell; 2009; 5th Edition) EBook PDF. Wiley John + Sons.
https://www.academia.edu/41876501/The_Dictionary_of_Human_Geography_Blackwell_2009_
5th_Edition_Edited_by_Derek_Gregory_Ron_Johnston_Geraldine_Pratt_Michael_Watts_and_S
arah_Whatmore_EBook_PDF
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